Eyesore or Art? The Art House in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Have you heard of the Art House in Minneapolis, Minnesota? Folks have strong opinions! What do you think…is it an “eyesore”…or is it “art”?
The Art House in Minneapolis
The Art House in Minneapolis: is it an “eyesore”…or is it “art”? We explore a hidden gem in southwest Minneapolis…and we need your help to answer the question: creative genius or tacky junk?
eye·sore
/ˈīˌsôr/
noun
A thing that is very ugly, especially a building that disfigures a landscape.
art
/ärt/
noun
The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination.
Celebrate the Weird and Wonderful Places in Minnesota
We belong to this Facebook group that celebrates weird and wonderful places in Minnesota. And that’s where we first encountered the Art House.
The Art House, as it’s nicknamed, is a private residence in southwest Minneapolis. Someone in the Facebook group shared a photo of it and we were surprised by the – umm “spirited” – conversation in the comments.
It was kinda crazy. Here we are in a group celebrating all things quirky, and at least half the comments were from uptight folks who said this house was ugly. An eyesore. Just junk thrown around a yard. Brought down the property value. Folks were even lamenting that this home is located outside of a homeowner’s association…as their rules would dictate removing everything that makes this house, well, interesting.
The other half of the comments were from folks celebrating this house as true art. Visually striking. Creative. Whimsical. Humorous even. The homeowner’s clearly are dedicated to their artistic statement: throughout the year they change out the pieces…and leave things out rain or shine, or in this case, snow. During the summers, the lawn is immaculately cared for.
The Goal of the Artist
So this conversation got us to thinking. Is this an eyesore? Or is it art? How do you see it? And if you do see it as an eyesore, then couldn’t it be argued that it’s truly a successful work of art…as the goal of any artist to get an audience talking, thinking, debating?
We’re not going to tell you our opinion on the house…but if you know us, you can probably guess what we think. We will say this, though: the Art House is truly a hidden gem in Minneapolis. It gets folks talking…and it sure is a lot of fun to see.
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What do you think of today’s hidden gem? Let us know in the comments. Is it art or an eyesore? Would you love having these folks as your neighbors…or would you be filing a complaint with the city? We’re curious to hear your thoughts. Maybe we’ll do a follow-up video and highlight some of the best comments we receive.
